Oscar Contenders: Gay Hero and Civil Rights Hero

This is the season for Oscar Contenders and I am thrilled to see that “The Imitation Game” and “Selma” are in there.

So, go and see the former movie telling the tale of Alan Turing and his team who broke the German Enigma code and saved millions of lives during World War II. Rather than be recognized as a hero he was persecuted for being gay and chemically castracted, then committed suicide, He was a pioneer in every way and his work led the way to phones and computers. Our LGBT history has been suppressed but we must revive and celebrate it.

And the much acclaimed movie of the civil rights era “Selma” is now in wide release. Criticism of this movie for it’s portrayal of President Johnson as a laggard on civil rights has surfaced. History has to be carefully examined as it is shown in movies. For example, the film “Lincoln” was critizised by historians for ignoring the role African Americans had in their emancipation. However, historians claim that Johnson worked in the background to acheive the Civil Rights and Voting Rights.

Our organization prides itself in telling the whole story behind Black and White, Gay and Straight issues, so these movies help remind that these heroic strugles need everyone to tell theses tales from history.